Khodorkovsky’s Open Russia holds protests across country

Former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s public movement, Open Russia, is holding protests across the country on Saturday, despite being blacklisted as an “undesirable” group by the Russian authorities.

29 April 2017

17:01 GMT

About 150 people attempted to participate in an unsanctioned demonstration outside a metro station in northern St. Petersburg, local authorities have reported. After repeated police warnings some dispersed voluntarily, but about 100 people stayed, police said in a statement. It added that police were forced to “put an end to the illegal gathering.” Ruptly video footage shows that multiple attendees were detained.

“This public event is being held in violation of Federal Law number 54, as it wasn’t agreed to with St. Petersburg’s authorities,” a police officer was repeatedly heard telling protesters in St. Petersburg via loudspeakers.